錯法

Your minister has heard that the enlightened rulers of antiquity established law so that the people had no villainy, undertook affairs so that talent was naturally refined, and administered reward so that the army was strong. These three are the foundations of governance. That establishing law caused the people to have no villainy was because the law was clear and the people benefited from it. That undertaking affairs caused talent to be naturally refined was because merit was clearly defined — when merit is clearly defined, the people exert their full strength, and when the people exert their full strength, talent is naturally refined. That administering reward caused the army to be strong — this refers to ranks and salaries. Ranks and salaries are the substance of the army. Therefore when the ruler dispenses ranks and salaries, the way must be clear. When the way is clear, the state grows stronger day by day; when the way is obscure, the state is diminished day by day. The direction in which ranks and salaries guide is the pivot of survival or destruction. States that are diminished and rulers who perish are not without ranks and salaries — it is that the direction in which they guide is wrong.

The Three Kings and Five Hegemons guided through nothing other than ranks and salaries, yet their achievements differed by a factor of ten thousand — because the direction in which they guided was clear. Therefore when the enlightened ruler employs his ministers, appointments must correspond to their labor and rewards must be proportionate to their merit. When merit and reward are clear, the people will compete for merit. When a state can make its people exert their full strength in competing for merit, the army will inevitably be strong.

Those of the same rank who become servants of one another — this is the difference between poverty and wealth. Those of equal substance who annex one another — this is the difference between strength and weakness. Those who possess territory and rule, yet some are strong and some weak — this is the difference between disorder and order. If there is the Way, a single li of territory sufficient to contain oneself is enough to attract scholars and people. If there is space for a marketplace, goods and wealth can be gathered. Those who possess land cannot speak of poverty; those who possess people cannot speak of weakness. If the land is truly put to use, there is no worry about lacking wealth; if the people are truly employed, there is no fear of powerful aggressors. When virtue is clear and instruction is practiced, one can employ the people's resources as one's own. Therefore the enlightened ruler uses what is not his own and commands people who are not his subjects.

What the enlightened king values above all is ranking substance — ranking substance and making it glorious and prominent. If it is not made glorious, the people will not eagerly seek position. If it is not made prominent, the people will not strive for rank. If rank is easy to obtain, the people will not value high rank. If rank, salary, and reward are not directed through the proper channel, the people will not risk death to contest for position. Because the ruler has likes and dislikes, the people can be governed. The ruler must carefully examine his likes and dislikes. Likes and dislikes are the foundation of reward and punishment. Human nature is to desire rank and salary and to dread punishment. The ruler establishes these two to control the people's wills and to establish what he desires. When the people exhaust their strength and rank follows, when merit is established and reward follows — if the ruler can make the people trust in this as they trust in the sun and moon, then the army will be invincible.

Some rulers dispense rank yet their armies are weak; some administer salaries yet their states are poor; some establish law yet there is disorder. These three are the afflictions of a state. If the ruler first grants favors through petitions and audiences and only afterward considers merit and strength, then rank is dispensed yet the army is weak. If the people need not risk death in the face of danger and yet profitable salaries can be obtained, then salaries are administered yet the state is poor. If the law has no fixed standards and numbers while affairs grow daily more complex, then law is established yet governance is disordered. Therefore when the enlightened ruler employs his people, he ensures they exert their full strength in pursuit of merit. When merit is established, wealth and honor follow — there is no private favor, and therefore instruction flows and succeeds.

Under these conditions, ministers are loyal, the ruler is enlightened, governance is manifest, and the army is strong. In all cases, the enlightened ruler's governance relies on the people's strength, not on their virtue — therefore without worry or toil, merit can be established.

Once standards and numbers are established, the law can be maintained. Therefore the ruler must be cautious about himself. Li Zhu could see the tip of an autumn hair at a hundred paces, but he could not transfer his sharp eyes to another person. Wu Huo could lift a weight of a thousand jun, but he could not transfer his great strength to another person. The sage's endowment of body and nature cannot be transferred to others — yet achievements can be obtained: this is what is meant by the law.